Review from the LORDS OF METAL eZine!! Vera : This is an extremely fine discovery in the gothic/doom metal genre, while those who had a soft spot for Type O’Negative and Tiamat in the nineties can even consider this as a must have. You can smoothly add Paradise Lost and Katatonia to these influences and you know which way the wind is blowing. This Swiss quartet started already in 2003, but their debut album ‘These Thoughts About Suicide’ only came out in 2009, immediately followed by some gigs and tours. Early 2013 they began working on this sophomore album ‘Into The Void’, after touring with A Pale Horse Named Death for five weeks in early 2012. That is a band with (ex) members of Type O’Negative and Life Of Agony. With new guitarist Chris Kuhn these Swiss guys recorded ten pitch black yet catchy songs and gave the mix and mastering to producer Reto Knaus at the Sonic Lab Studios. The new songs are far more bleak, slower and heavier than the material on their debut. Opening track ‘Nothing Ever Cured’ is one of the most ponderous songs with its eerie atmosphere, heavy doom riffs and consciously monotonous vocals. However the meandering guitars are already melodious. From ‘Tomorrow’ on they add some decent gothic overtones, with clean vocals that even remind us a bit of Pink Floyd, due to a melancholic timbre but also due to magnificent guitar leads. Solemn and miserable are the vocals from bassist Stefan Vida in ‘Low’ that really has a Type O’Negative guitar sound and a sinister Tiamat flavour. Another pro is that the songs are accessible and even catchy. ‘The Inner Gods’, ‘Never Let Me Down’ and the mid-paced ‘December Depression’ are compositions that are simple yet effective and instantly haunt you. A highlight is also ‘Fading Away’ that via classic piano flows into a marvellous guitar solo. One can compare it a little bit with ‘Whatever That Hurts’ from Tiamat. We can best describe the vocals as a mix between Alice Cooper and Tiamat’s Johan Edlund. But there are some lengthy doom epics as well, like ‘Everything Turns To Ashes’ with once again a proper Type O guitar sound and a fervent solo, sublimated by soaring keyboards and the nearly ten minutes long title track which is regaled with scary voices on samples and a nice organ outro. Closing track ‘Lullaby’ is not a song to fall asleep at all, but has again some perfect gloominess with superb guitar skills for us. Yet this band sure has a signature sound and own identity, even if they are deeply rooted in the strong gothic/doom movement that flourished in the nineties. In the meantime the band has done another tour with A Pale Horse Named Death. These guys will make it with some luck! – See more at: http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/en/reviews/view/id/27154#sthash.elAvKv2a.dpuf 89 of 100!!!

German review POWERMETAL.DE

Eine Götter-Maschine.
Aus der Schweiz kommt das Quartett namens BLOOD RUNS DEEP, welches uns mit “Into The Void” sein zweites Album vorlegt. Das in fröhlichen Grau- und Schwarztönen gehaltene Coverartwork gibt schon einen ersten Einblick in die Stilistik, die uns während der knapp 70 Minuten Spielzeit erwartet. Fröhlichkeit geht anders, denn die vier jungen Burschen mögen es düster, schleppend und zermürbend. Könnte man anhand der Taktvorgabe noch von Doom reden, so erinnert das Gesamtbild eher an das erste Album von THE GOD MACHINE.
Ich denke, ich habe jetzt ein paar Leuten den Mund wässrig gemacht, denn THE GOD MACHINE ist die Creme de Trübsal. Diese Intensität erreicht BLOOD RUS DEEP natürlich (noch) nicht, aber die zehn ellenlangen Nummern auf diesem Album entfachen eine Faszination bei mir, die beinahe ein wenig beängstigend ist. Der spröde und morbide klingende Saitensound röhrt und röchelt herrlich bedrohlich und niederschmetternd aus den Boxen, während im Hintergrund ein Schlagzeug stoisch, aber äußerst beharrlich zum Slow-Motion-Tanz bittet. Die eingesetzten Keyboards verwässern dieses Klanggebilde nun nicht in Richtung Gothic-Kitsch, sondern dienen dazu, der ganzen Chose etwas mehr Tiefe und Volumen einzuverleiben. Über all’ dieser Trauermusik jonglier Bassist Stefan Vida mit seiner melancholischen Stimme.
Ihr merkt es schon, die Band hat es mir sehr angetan, denn sie bewegt sich mit ihrer Musik weit außerhalb der sonst üblichen Genrestilmittel. Allein die Art und Weise, wie hier die Gitarre eingesetzt wird, macht mir angst und bange. Neben schweren Riffs, die naturgemäß das Bild dominieren, gibt es viele Klanggebilde, die aus Rückkopplungen, fiependen Solo-Ausflügen oder frei schwebenden Akkorden stammen. Dazu addiert sich der dominante Groll-Bass, sowie der melancholische Tasteneinsatz und fertig ist ein Gesamtbild, das mich völlig verschlingt. Ich wiederhole mich. Entschuldigung.
Wer jetzt unschlüssig ist, ob er diese Downer-Keule ertragen möchte, der darf sich zuerst den rockenden Hit ‘The Inner Gods’ antun. Eine Nummer, die mit ihrer tieftraurigen Hookline seit Wochen an meinen Nerven zerrt. Absolut superb, diese Nummer! Aber auch die verbleibenden neun Nummern werden sich in Windeseile in euer Unterbewusstsein schleichen. Allen voran das von traurigen Pianoklängen begleitete ‘Tomorrow’, sowie der ins Bodenlose fallende Titelsong, der jede Fröhlichkeit mit gnadenloser Härte nieder schmettert. Ein Album gegen eventuell aufkommende Frühlingsgefühle oder für alle, die gern mal bei einem schweren Rotwein in fantastischer Musik versinken.

9 of 10!!

You can find a nice review in the new ROCK HARD magazine!

ROCK HARD
May 2014
7.5 / 10

´ne neue Platte von Type 0 Negative, das wäre doch wirklich was Feines, oder? Leider wird das bekanntlich nichts mehr, und bei wem das viel zu frühe Ableben von Pete Steele vor einigen Jahren eine musikalische Lücke hinterlassen hat, die noch immer nicht gestopft werden konnte, bei dem könnte sich mit BLOOD RUNS DEEP jetzt zumindest ein schmaler Silberstreif am dunklen Horizont abzeichnen. Zwar erreichen die Eidgenossen zugegebenermaßen noch lange nicht die Qualität ihrer offensichtlichen Vorbilder, sind jedoch auch weit davon entfernt, in irgendeiner Form langweilig oder gar mies zu sein. Auf „Into The Void“ sind tiefe, getragene Gitarrenmelodien, dunkles Basswummern, dezente Keyboards und depressiver Gesang angesagt. Also alles, was auch die Jungs von Type 0 damals so großartig machte – nur nicht ganz so perfekt. Und jetzt entschuldigt mich, ich muss die Kerzen rauskramen und ´ne Flasche Rotwein entkorken. (Seltsam. Du bevorzugst doch sonst auch Tetra-Paks… – Red.)

BLOOD RUNS DEEP also in the May issue of Metal Hammer Germany!

METAL HAMMER
May 2014
5/7

Zwei Alben in 14 Jahren Band-Geschichte dürfte selbst das schwächste Herz  verkraften. Dafür liegt nun ein äussert überzeugendes Ergebnis vor.  Im Plattenschrank   der Band-Mitglieder dürfte man einiges von Type O Negative, Katatonia, Opeth und   Konsorten finden: INTO THE VOID bietet zehn schleppende Stücke, denen Melancholie und  Resignation nur so aus jeder Note tropfen. Zuweilen lockern BLOOD RUNS DEEP ihr Material  auch mal mit Stoner-mässigen/doomigen Gitarren auf, was der Eintönigkeit gut entgegenwirkt. Stefan Vida singt angenehm unprätentiös, aber dennoch gefühlvoll, hat auch mal  ein bisschen Dreck in der Stimme und bringt die düstere Melancholie authentisch rüber,  da die tiefe Tonlage bei ihm nich erzwungen klingt. Die ein oder andere kleine Länge könnte  man INTO THE VOID noch ankreiden – aber da dies ohnehin eine Scheibe ist, die man zum  gefühlvollen Schwelgen in episch-melancholischer Dunkelheit goutiert und nicht als Partybeschallung, ist das bestens zu verschmerzen.   (Diana Glöckner)

Another Live review. You also can find some photos of the show on their website. Use the link below. Just like buses all coming at once there were at least four shows on in town tonight that would have been good to go to. There are always going to be winners and losers when these sort of clashes occur and no doubt it was the draw of Monster Magnet and Church Of Misery down the road at the Koko tonight that was the one packing the punters out. This kind of left Belfast band Stormzone high and dry in a near empty venue but nothing could stop the sound of forged steel galloping through the place as they fired up their weapons.  Considering the two other bands on the bill there was a void between them as this lot were actually “happy” and so were their songs. A big grin rather than grim look was constant on vocalist John ‘Harv’ Harbisons mush and he and the entire band did not seem put off in the slightest at the lack of people. They pretty much gave it their all and I doubt this was any different than if they were playing to a much bigger crowd. There was a real charge about their songs, with a gung-ho bravado full of choppy riffs, with infectious hooks bolstered by a thick meaty sound. With the players launching themselves about and throwing poses it was exactly what you wanted from a true metal band really. It was really funny as I was watching and thinking what a great band they would be opening for the likes of Saxon and the singer took time between tracks to tell us they had been invited to play this show as they had a couple of days free from supporting (yep you guessed it) Saxon! They fired out a couple of album title tracks from the four they have released and Three Kings was the newest of them with a marching pace which had my boots stomping in time. Death Dealer had a lot of force and power behind and the Maidenesque vocal histrionics and twin guitar weave made for a fist pumping fervour. The Legend Carries On saw the drummer stand precariously on his stool and I thought “easy chap or the legend’s gonna be stretchered out” luckily he survived and the band gave us a good old gallop to the finish line. Swiss band Blood Runs Deep were an entirely different proposition. Those of us who had seem APHND last time at the Borderline had encountered them before. Obviously there is some kindred spirit between the bands and musically at times it is more than evident. This was much more downbeat and with Nothing Ever Cured there was a definite Floydian tinge to things. Misery was in the house and long elongated riffs with despair at their heart flowed in a gloomy and doomy morass. Keyboards had a bit of a Type O feel about them and the drummer was particularly impressive really getting into the swing of things and bringing life to the otherwise moribund strains of despair. Occasional rocky surges also sprang out amid the chugging guitar and thick bass lines. On the whole though it was dour and dismal and if they had been the “warm up band” they may well have killed off a few and had people searching for pills and razor blades. That said naturally it was not unenjoyable and the nihilism found in songs like new album title track ‘Into The Void’ spoke for itself. The crowd were hardly dancing but at least it had got busier. People were more standing swaying no doubt looking inwards and wondering why their lives were so shit! Hitting fuzz laden grooves and sludgy patches and pulling out some Type O, Sabbath riffs as they went, they kept my attention but it was the last song with such a pure tinge of ‘Wish You Were Here’ about it that at first I thought it was a cover that really showed their colours and influences off in style. A bit of an intimate show then for NYC miserablists A Pale Horse Named Death and we were up for a showcase of numbers from their two albums with themes of divorce, drugs and degradation running through them in a way that would have made a Country And Western fan cry. All we really needed was someone to drag a dying dog on stage and shoot it to complete the misery.  Despite this Sal Abruscato proves a wry and humorously good natured front man and entertains us throughout the set between songs with banter adding humour to the numbers which come thick and fast. The band made up of ex and present members from Type O (RIP) Life Of Agony and Seventh Void blow out some tarry sludgy sounds that are really thick and cling to us as they get into the likes of To Die In Your Arms, it would have been a perfect song if they had actually hit us up with it on Valentines day but were just that bit too early. Some sliding scale work from the guitars sent a real shiver down the spine too. First album number As Black As My Heart rocked away despite the fact that a guitar player was momentarily lost, once plugged back in I practically jumped out my skin standing next to the monitor as it was really bastard loud. I actually moved back and needed to as it drowned out the vocals at the front but luckily they came through loud and clear with a bit of distance from the stage. Sal told us how much he had been looking forward to being back in England and getting himself full of crumpets and tea! Better than heroin no doubt as cautionary tale Needle In You proved. This was heavy as fuck and the big yell of “suicide” expertly placed. Harmonies and melody were excellent, as Devil In The Closet followed and the band and audience were by now well and truly caught up in the swing of things. We were asked what Manchester was like as that is where they were headed next, not sure all the answers were polite but I doubt it will put the band off giving them a great work out too. It was hard not to sing along, ‘In The Sleeping Death’ had some great vocal harmonies and the trembling guitar sound was perfect. They could have played any of the tracks on the two albums and we would  have been happy, one that was missed however despite calls for it was the excellent ‘Day Of The Storm. It would have been very apt considering the weather but Sal humorously explained that it was far too technical a challenge for them to give us it. He also had a good rant about the MP3 age and everyone wanting everything for free which got a rousing cheer of support. Some cheeky Type O blackisms were dished out amidst things, a cover would have been great but I guess would have been asking a bit much. We were also told it was up to us if there is a third album and I think everyone here was in agreement that we approve of one heartily. Next we moved into ‘When Crows Descend’ which we were told was inspired by Hitchcock’s The Birds, which in another fit of synchronicity I had watched a week ago and could totally see. Die Alone was a bit of a slow burner to finish on but the group had totally earned an encore and the final nail in the coffin, Killer By Night, was a rousing high to go out on before heading off in the night looking for a steed called whatever to get me home. (Review and photos © Pete Woods) http://www.avenoctum.com/2014/02/a-pale-horse-named-death-london-underworld-13214/

After a couple of bad experiences on the road, Europe is currently the only place A Pale Horse Named Death are keen to book headlining tours, so with a new album out, they wasted no time in announcing another run with Finns Blood Runs Deep, who also opened for them in 2012.

Before Blood Runs Deep this time though, for absolutely no good reason whatsoever, the promoters had booked Scots Stormzone as the night’s openers. The evening really didn’t need a third band anyway, but even moreso it didn’t need a fairly generic power metal band. Unsurprisingly only a small section of the audience, most of whom seemed to already be familiar with the band, were at all interested or responsive to their efforts. Too often London promoters book too many bands under the misapprehension that it offers better value for money, and this is one of those times when they got it completely wrong.

Blood Runs Deep didn’t have much to follow, but have in fact become a greatly improved band in the last two years. Tighter, with better material from new album Into The Void they were much more engaging and energetic than at the Borderline on the last tour. Stylistically they’re actually very similar to APHND, which meant that they went down very well with the crowd, and succeeded in drawing more people in from the bar as well. This was definitely a more successful show than last time, and welcome relief after the ridiculous booking of Stormzone, who did at least appreciate that they shouldn’t have been there, but tried admirably hard anyway.

http://www.jukeboxmetal.com/2014/a-pale-horse-named-death-live-the-underworld-london-2014/